The latest round of Nordisk Film+TV Funding loves kids & docos

The latest round of production support has seen Nordisk Film+TV Fund handing out NOK 2.9 million to four documentaries, a kids animation, and a live action film for kids.

The big name of the round of funding was the Danish doco Between Two Worlds, which was filmed over a decade between a Danish fishing community and a Thai village, bringing together the similarities through marriage migration. The doco received 600,000 nok. The four part series and film will be on the Scandi TV’s in Spring 2016. The other recipients of funding are:

The Norwegian documentary Rebels! By Kari Anne Moe (Bravehearts) was granted NOK450,000. One in six people aged 18-24 in the EU drop out before completing high school. In Norway those figures are one in three. The director focuses on four youths in a group of 22 high school drop outs and explores their hopes and dreams. Gudmundur Gunnarsson produces for Fuglene.

Two other documentaries – Chapter 11 and Varicella – are part of the Nordic ‘Ultra Sports Kids’ series about kids and sports. Chapter 11 directed by Ania Winiarska for Story AB, focuses on a South African township girl, junior champion in BMX. The project was granted NOK100.000. Varicella by Victor Kossalovsky portrays two sisters passionate about dancing. The project produced by Anita Rehoff Larsen (Sant & Usant) was granted 200,000.

Siv Sleeps Astray received the largest grant of NOK1.3 million. Produced by Sweden’s Petter Lindblad (Snowcloud Films AB), the adventure film is directed by Catti Edfeldt (Arn the Knight Templar) in collaboration with Lena Hanno Clyne who also wrote the script based on Pija Lindenbaum’s eponymous book. Taking inspiration fromMatilda and The Borrowers, the film centres of a seven year-old girl who has a sleep over at her new friend Cerisia and has a strange adventure involving two funny badgers in red boots. Siv Sleeps Astray is co-produced by Sweden’s Gilda Film and Saperi Film, Holland’s Viking Film, with co-financing from SVT and Filmpool Nord. Filming is set to start on April 22. SF will handle domestic and world distribution.

The Danish series for kids Lili (8×3.5 minutes) produced by Marie Bro (Dansk Tegnefilm ApS) was awarded NOK240,000. It’s the story of Lili who is too small for many things, but has a will of iron and nothing can stop her. The series co-produced by Ladybird Films in the UK is backed by the DFI, TV2 Denmark, SVT, YLE, NRK and RUV. Animation work started on March 2nd. Delivery is set for November 2015.

Emma Vestrheim is the editor-in-chief of Cinema Scandinavia. Originally from Australia, she is know based in Bergen, Norway, and attends major Nordic film festivals to conduct interviews and review new films.